Method and system to adjust a seller fixed price offer

• US 7,853,486 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Grove, Brian Alan, Grove, Steve, Edson, Zak James, Sandler, Andrew Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US11/618,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Methods and systems including an auction method including an auction price-setting process and a fixed price process for purchasing a seller'"'"'s offering to a buyer. The seller may adjust a seller fixed-price offer during the auction price-setting process. Various embodiments include a network-based commerce system including, a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and a fixed price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to facilitate a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

Claims

1. A network-based commerce system includes:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

a fixed price-setting process executed from the memory by the processor to facilitate a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

2. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to transmit the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price, wherein the predetermined percentage range includes a percentage range determined prior to or during the fixed price-setting process.

3. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the fixed price-setting process further causes the processor to transmit the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price, wherein the predetermined percentage range includes a percentage range determined prior to or during the fixed price-setting process.

4. The network-based commerce system of claim 1, wherein the request is initiated by a user of the networked-based commence system.

5. A machine-readable medium having instructions, that when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, the operations comprising:

facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item within a network-based auction, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

6. The machine-readable medium of claim 5, including transmitting the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price, wherein the predetermined percentage range includes a percentage range determined prior to or during the fixed price-setting process.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 5, including transmitting the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price, wherein the predetermined percentage range includes a percentage range determined prior to or during the fixed price-setting process.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the request is initiated by a user of the networked-based commence system.

9. A method of facilitating a price setting process for a network-based auction, the method including:

executing one or more instructions, using a machine, to cause the machine to perform at least one function based on the instructions, the at least one function including facilitating a request for an adjustment of a fixed price offer associated with a listing for an item within the network-based auction, the request to be sent to a seller of the listing.

10. The method of claim 9, including transmitting the request to the seller when a maximum bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price, wherein the predetermined percentage range includes a percentage range determined prior to or during the fixed price-setting process.

11. The method of claim 9, including transmitting the request to the seller when a proxy bid is within a predetermined percentage range of a reserve price, wherein the predetermined percentage range includes a percentage range determined prior to or during the fixed price-setting process.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the request is initiated by a user of the networked-based commence system.

13. A network-based commerce system for facilitating a price setting

process for a network-based auction, the system including:

one or more processor to access instructions and processes the instructions to designate a buyer to be a winner of a listing for an item during the network-based auction upon adjusting a fixed price offer for the listing to below a maximum bid submitted by the buyer for the item; and

a storage, coupled to the processor, store the fixed price offer.

14. The network-based commerce system of claim 13, further including:

a network interface to receive an indication, from the buyer, indicating that the buyer agrees to be designated as a winner of the listing upon the adjustment of the fixed price offer to an adjusted fixed price offer that is below the maximum bid, wherein the network interface is coupled to the storage means.